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C. H. FIELD. GEMASETTING lAHIlTE.

3 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

'Patented-June 16, 1896.

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. C. H. FIELD.

GEM SETTING MACHINE. No' 5622292' Y' PatentedJune 16, 1896.

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GBM SETTING MACHINE. l

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES I'I. FIELD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

GEM-SETTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,292, dated June 16,1896.

Application led January 29, 18.95. Serial No. 536,601. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. FIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented anew and useful Machine for Setting Gems, of which the following is aspecification.

The method heretofore employed for setting a gem consists in holding thesetting with the inserted gem in one hand, and then, by means of a blunttool or burnisher held in the other hand, separately forcing the prongsover the edge of the gem. And in the costly articles, made of gold, thismethod is supplemented by trimming that portion of the prongs whichprojects inward over the edge of the gem.

The object of my invention is to provide a suitable machine foreffecting this result in an expeditious manner, and at less cost thanheretofore; and my invention consists in the improved construction andarrangement of the parts of the machine, and in the method employed, ashereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top view of themachine. Fig. 2 represents a front elevation of the same with therearward portion omitted. Fig. 3 represents a section taken in the linea; cc of Fig. 2. Fig. l represents an enlarged detaillongitudinalsection of the plunger. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged detail side viewof the upper portion of the plunger. Fig. 6 represents a top view withthe upper portion of the machine removed. Fig.` 7 represents a detailsection of the jaw-holding bed with the setting and the inserted gem, inposition between the holding-jaws, ready for the action of theforcing-jaws. Fig. 8 represents an enlarged sectional view showing thesetting and gem after the ends of the prongs of the setting have beenforced inward over the edge of the gem. Fig. 9 represents an enlargedtop view of the upper inclined cam for operating the forcing-jaws. Fig.10 represents an edge view of the same. Fig. 1l represents a perspectiveview of one of the forcing-jaws. Fig. 12 represents a top view of thelower inclined cam for operating the holding-jaws. Fig. 13 represents anedge view of the same. Fig. 14

represents a perspective view of one of the holding-jaws. Fig. 15represents an enlarged or full size top view of the jaw-holding bed,with the covering portion broken away to show the forcing-jaws and theiroperatingcams. Fig. 16 represents a full vertical section of thejaw-holding bed, taken in the line w w of Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is asectional view showing a modification in the mechanism for closing theends of the prongs of the setting upon the edge of the gem. Fig. 18 is asectional view showing a modification, in which an auxiliary cuttin g-jaw is employed for trimming the turned end of the setting-prong. Fig. 19is a sectional view illustrating the modification shown in Fig. 1S andshowing the setting after its several prongs have been trimmed. Fig. 20represents a perspective View of the auxiliary cutting-jaw and itsoperating-cam. Fig. 21 represents an enlarged detail longitudinalsection of the end of the cutting-jaw.

In the drawings, Arepresents the frame of the machine, which is to befastened to a suitable bench in such a manner that the setting u may bereadily placed within the jaws jj of the holder, the said frame beingprovided at its rear with an upwardly and forwardly extending arm A',which supports the vertical plun ger j', the said plunger being providedat its upper end with an arm g2, (shown in Fig. 5,) which supports anantifrictionroller g', adapted for engagement with the segmental cam b,by means of which the plunger is actuated in its upward movement againstthe resilience of the spring c', by means of which the opposite downwardmovement of the plunger is effected. the plunger f is provided with theinclosing tube f and with the clasping spring-jaws h h', the saidclasping-jaws being adapted to seize and hold the gem by its edge, asshown in Fig. 1l; and within the bore of the plunger f is placed thesliding forcer g, the said forcer being held in its upper position bymeans of the spring f2, held under the head of the adjusting-screw d andserving to force the gem downward from the clasping-jaws h h', as shownin Figs. 7 and 17, into the setting u. The annular head m is turned backand forth to a limited extent on its axis by means of the handle fn, andthe rear edge of the said head is provided with the segment-gear s,which engages with the gear p, secured to the upright shaft c, to theupper end of which is attached the segmental cam b, to which is at- Thelower end ofl IOO tached the cam-arm CZ', which serves to depress theforcer g at the proper time to expel the gem Z1, from the clasping-jaws7L Zt of the plunger. To the shaft c, at near the gear p, is secured thecam c, which acts against the antifrietion-roller o" upon the side ofthe carrier-arm Z, which arm is pivoted at Z to the bed of the frame A,the said carrier-arm being held against the cam c by means of the springs.

To the outer end of the carrier-arm Z is attached the curved orinclinedraeeway e, provided with a channel e', in which the gem to be fed to theholding-jaws may be placed, the said gem being caused to gravitate tothe lower end of the raceway, as shown by the dotted lines, whichrepresent the gem in Fig. 2. To the side of the portion A of the frameis pivoted the claw t", which upon each back-andforth vibration oftheiearrier-arm Z will serve to draw another gem forward to replace theone previously taken by the clasping-jaws h of the plunger. Theholding-jawsjjl for the setting are held to move back and forth in theradial grooves o2 o2, made in the upwardlyextending circular boss A2 ofthe frame A, upon which circular boss the annular head m is made toturn, when operated, by means of the handle n'; and to the annular headm are secured the cams Zt for operating the several jaws j inwardly,thesaid cams being made capable of adjustment by means of theadjusting-screws o. Immediately above the jaws j of the holder and inthe same grooves o2 o2 are placed the jaws 0 0 for forcing the outerends of the prongs of the setting over the edge of the gem, the saidjaws being provided with the beveled ends o and actuated in bothdirections by means of the slotted cams q q, which are adapted toreceive the pin p', which projects upwardly from the rear ends of thesaid jaws, the said cams being made adjustable by means of the adjusting-screws o.

The holding-jawsj are provided at their upper sides with a recess t, asshown in Fig. 1i, the said recess being adapted to receive thedownwardly-projecting pin Z at the under side of the forcing-jaw o, thepin t serving to impart backward movement to the holdingjaw through theaction of the cam q, which imparts movement in both directions to theforcing-jaw 0. The jaws j and o are retained in place within the grooveso2 o2 by means of the annular covering-plate m2, and the several cams inthe annular head m are covered by means of the annular covering-plate m.

In a gold setting it is customary to trim off the ends of thesetting-prongs, after they are turned over the edge of the gem, and thismay be accomplished by means of a cutter w', placed between theholding-jaw j and the forcing-jaw 0, as shown in Fig. 19, the saidcutter being operated in the forward direction by means of a cam (shownin Fig. 20,) and provided with a slot 102, adapted to receive the pin t,which extends downward from the under side of the forcing-jaw 0 into therecess t at the upper side of the holding-jaw j, thus providing forbackward movement, and the forward end Q0 of the cutter 'w' is beveledunder and recessed, as shown in the enlarged section Fig. 21. In thesection Fig. 1S the gold setting is shown as having its prongs turnedover onto the gem, the backward position of the point of the cutter w atthis time being shown by dotted lines, the succeeding forward positionof the cutter w to effect the trimming of the turned end of the prongbeing shownin the section Fig. 19, the setting being there representedas trimmed.

In operatin g the machine from the rearward position of the handle a',as shown in Fig. l, with anumber of gems Zt in the raceway e, and a gemin engagement with the clasping-jaws ZL Zt of the plunger f, as shown inFig. 4, the initial forward movement of the handle n will cause theforward movement of the cam ZJ, whereby the rise b' of the cam willengage with the roller g/, thereby causing the rise of the plunger fwith the clasped gem from the carrier-arm Z; and as the gem clears thesaid carrier-arm the rise c2 of the cam c will cause the backwardmovement of the carrier-arm from under the plunger f, and upon suchbackward movement the operation of the claw fi upon the gem contained inthe channel e of the raceway e will be such as to cause the forwardmovement of the gem in the channel e', so that the end gem of the serieswill be made to take the place of the gem which has just been removed bythe clasping-jaws Zt Zt' of the plunger f. Upon the continued forwardmovement of the handle n the holdin g-j aws jj will be brought forwardby means of the cams 7c to grasp a properly-presented setting u, and theroller g of the plunger j" will pass down the incline b2 of the cam l),thus allowing the spring 'L' to act and carry the plunger down until thesaid plunger arrives at a point near the ends of the upwardlyprojectingprongs of the setting, as shown in Fig. 7, the gem being thereafterforced out of the clasping-jaws h ZL and into the setting by thedownward movement of the forcer g, caused by the engagement of thecam-arm CZ with the top of the screw CZ. Now the continued forwardmovement of the arm n will cause the inward movement of the forcingjawso o to force the ends of the prongs of the setting over the edge of thegem, which operation will be completed at the extreme forward movementof the handle la', and while the forcer g is pressing upon the gem, andthus holding the same in an upright position. The reverse backwardmovement of the handle n will cause the return of the forcing-jaws o oand the holding-jaws j j to their original position, and also cause therisc of forcer g within the bore of the plunger f, and the rise of theroller g of the plunger to the top of the cam b, and then the action ofIOO IIO

the spring s and cam c will cause the carrierarm l to again come underthe plunger f, with a gem in proper position to be clasped by thespring-jaws h' h upon the downward movement of the plunger-roller g atthe incline b of the cam b, at the extreme backward movement of thehandle fn', and upon the succeeding forward movement of the handle n theoperation of setting a gem will be repeated.

In the modilication shown in Fig. 17, in which the plunger f is beveledinwardly, at its end w, the downward movement of the plunger may sufficeto cause the inward forcing of the points of the setting over the edgeof the gem. l

I claim as my inventionl. In a machine for setting gems, the combinationof a holder for the setting, with the opening and closing jaws forforcing the ends of the prongs of the setting over the edge of the gem,and the opening and closing cutters for trimming the turned ends of theprongs, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for setting gems, the combination of aholder for thesetting, and means for placing the gem in proper position within theprongs of the setting, with means for forcing the ends of the prongs ofthe setting over the edge of the gem, substantially as described. Y

3. In a machine for setting gems, the combination of a holder for thesetting, the carrier for holding the gem, and means for removing the gemfrom the carrier and placing it between the prongs of the setting,substantially as described.

4. In a machine for setting gems the combination of the holder for thesetting, the carrier for the gem, the plunger provided with thespring-jaws for clasping the edge of the gem, and the forcer for forcingthe gem from the spring-jaws into the setting, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a machine for setting gems, the combination of the holder for thesetting, the carrier for the gem, the plunger provided with thespring-jaws for clasping the edge of the gein, the forcer for forcingthe gem from the spring-jaws into the setting, and means for forcing theends of the prongs of the setting over the edge of the gem,substantially as described.

CHARLES II. FIELD.

Witnesses:

SOCRATES SCHOLFIELD, HARRY J. GARCEAU.

